University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
October 7, 2017 | Football
Quick takeaways from the loss to Notre Dame.
By Adam Lucas
1. Well, that game took a major turn south after the Tar Heels appeared to be going into the locker room down just 14-7 at halftime. With Carolina due to get the ball first in the second half, that would have been a manageable deficit after a poor first quarter and a much better second quarter.
2. Instead, however, the Tar Heels failed to fair catch a punt at the end of the first half, which led to the UNC offense operating on its own one-yard line, which then led to an Irish safety. Carolina had tried to throw a long pass on first down, then was stuffed on second down. "We thought we could maybe get a chance on a double move and hit them deep," Larry Fedora told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "After that, we needed to try and get the ball off the one-yard line. We went with a basic split zone and we didn't execute it and they hit us in the backfield."
3. That meant the halftime deficit was 16-7, and after Chazz Surratt threw an interception on the first drive of the second half, most of the second half optimism was gone. The Irish eventually won a 33-10 decision.
4. Carolina was much too sloppy with the ball to win a game against a superior team. The Tar Heels threw away an interception and lost a pair of fumbles. Surratt was the team's leading rusher on Saturday—usually not a good sign—and was 19-for-42 throwing the ball. "We're continuing to make too many mistakes," Fedora said. "I've got to do a better job of putting guys in position to be successful...I can promise you these players and coaches are working extremely hard. We just haven't found a way to put them in position to be successful, and that's my responsibility."
5. Notre Dame played the entire game without starting quarterback Brandon Wimbush, meaning they relied even more on their running game. The Irish ground attack was as advertised, as they accumulated nearly 350 rushing yards (they finished with 341).
6. The dismal first quarter set an ominous tone. In those 15 minutes, the Tar Heels got the ball three times, ran nine plays, and amassed seven yards. Notre Dame had the ball for over eleven minutes out of the first 15. As you would expect given the rough opening period, the Tar Heels finished under 300 total yards for the second straight week.
7. Let's see if we can think of something positive for the Carolina offense in the loss. It does appear that Anthony Ratliff-Williams has fully emerged as the Tar Heel go-to guy and is developing a rapport with Surratt. Most impressively, Ratliff-Williams dropped an apparent touchdown pass in the first half, but Surratt went right back to him a couple of plays later, and the receiver made a terrific leaping catch.
8. The injuries are getting absurd. Donnie Miles was carted off and even the punter, Tom Sheldon, missed the entire second half with an injury. It's come to that—even the punter isn't healthy.
9. For the second straight week, Cayson Collins set a career high for tackles. Last week against Georgia Tech, he had a dozen, then followed it up on Saturday with 15. Myles Dorn also had a nice day at safety, making nine tackles and picking off a pair of passes. So there were some bright spots on defense, but on a day when they were on the field too much, there weren't enough of those positive notes. "The defense got worn down again," Fedora said. "That's where the offense has to do a better job of helping them."
10. The halftime show, featuring a kickoff to Carolina's big new capital campaign and a bevy of fireworks during the alma mater, was terrific. And after some tireless work to identify the bugs that had plagued the system in the first three home games, the PA system worked well.
1. Well, that game took a major turn south after the Tar Heels appeared to be going into the locker room down just 14-7 at halftime. With Carolina due to get the ball first in the second half, that would have been a manageable deficit after a poor first quarter and a much better second quarter.
2. Instead, however, the Tar Heels failed to fair catch a punt at the end of the first half, which led to the UNC offense operating on its own one-yard line, which then led to an Irish safety. Carolina had tried to throw a long pass on first down, then was stuffed on second down. "We thought we could maybe get a chance on a double move and hit them deep," Larry Fedora told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "After that, we needed to try and get the ball off the one-yard line. We went with a basic split zone and we didn't execute it and they hit us in the backfield."
3. That meant the halftime deficit was 16-7, and after Chazz Surratt threw an interception on the first drive of the second half, most of the second half optimism was gone. The Irish eventually won a 33-10 decision.
4. Carolina was much too sloppy with the ball to win a game against a superior team. The Tar Heels threw away an interception and lost a pair of fumbles. Surratt was the team's leading rusher on Saturday—usually not a good sign—and was 19-for-42 throwing the ball. "We're continuing to make too many mistakes," Fedora said. "I've got to do a better job of putting guys in position to be successful...I can promise you these players and coaches are working extremely hard. We just haven't found a way to put them in position to be successful, and that's my responsibility."
5. Notre Dame played the entire game without starting quarterback Brandon Wimbush, meaning they relied even more on their running game. The Irish ground attack was as advertised, as they accumulated nearly 350 rushing yards (they finished with 341).
6. The dismal first quarter set an ominous tone. In those 15 minutes, the Tar Heels got the ball three times, ran nine plays, and amassed seven yards. Notre Dame had the ball for over eleven minutes out of the first 15. As you would expect given the rough opening period, the Tar Heels finished under 300 total yards for the second straight week.
7. Let's see if we can think of something positive for the Carolina offense in the loss. It does appear that Anthony Ratliff-Williams has fully emerged as the Tar Heel go-to guy and is developing a rapport with Surratt. Most impressively, Ratliff-Williams dropped an apparent touchdown pass in the first half, but Surratt went right back to him a couple of plays later, and the receiver made a terrific leaping catch.
8. The injuries are getting absurd. Donnie Miles was carted off and even the punter, Tom Sheldon, missed the entire second half with an injury. It's come to that—even the punter isn't healthy.
9. For the second straight week, Cayson Collins set a career high for tackles. Last week against Georgia Tech, he had a dozen, then followed it up on Saturday with 15. Myles Dorn also had a nice day at safety, making nine tackles and picking off a pair of passes. So there were some bright spots on defense, but on a day when they were on the field too much, there weren't enough of those positive notes. "The defense got worn down again," Fedora said. "That's where the offense has to do a better job of helping them."
10. The halftime show, featuring a kickoff to Carolina's big new capital campaign and a bevy of fireworks during the alma mater, was terrific. And after some tireless work to identify the bugs that had plagued the system in the first three home games, the PA system worked well.
Players Mentioned
Linebacker
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Punter
/ Football
Quarterback
/ FootballRapid Reactions pres. by Modelo – Men’s Basketball vs. Central Arkansas – November 3, 2025
Tuesday, November 04
Hubert Davis Post-Central Arkansas Press Conference
Tuesday, November 04
UNC Men's Basketball: Tar Heels Open Regular Season with 94-54 Win vs Central Arkansas
Tuesday, November 04
UNC Women's Basketball: Tar Heels Roll to Opening Day Win vs NC Central, 90-42
Tuesday, November 04